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Russia has no plans for reviving Soviet Union — Federation Council’s speaker

These days it is essential to develop mutually beneficial cooperation on a new basis, Valentina Matviyenko stressed

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko Sergei Bobylev/TASS

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Russia has never demonstrated some "imperial ambitions" and it has no plans for reviving the Soviet Union, the speaker of the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Valentina Matviyenko told a news conference on Monday when asked for a comment regarding allegations Russia had plans for recreating the Soviet Union.

"First, even if somebody might wish to do this, it would be impossible. Second, we have never demonstrated any imperial ambitions. The train is gone. These days it is essential to develop mutually beneficial cooperation on a new basis. We have no such plans and we will be living in peace, accord, love and friendship with our neighbors and brothers in all former union states," she said.

US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland at the beginning of December said Washington was concerned about what she described as Moscow’s intention to recreate the Soviet Union. It was not the first time that Washington voiced suspicion Moscow’s aim was to restore the USSR. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS in February 2021 that Russia sought equitable cooperation with all CIS member-states and had no intention of recreating the Soviet Union, contrary to the West’s allegations. Also, he drew attention to fact the West was trying to turn the post-Soviet space into a "zone of permanent conflicts and tensions".

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